


Take Responsibility

by StrawhatsAndDelibirds



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Gen, Gilbert is unfortunately in this one sorry lads, Reader's Choice - Freeform, Talking about bad dads, but I'd argue the best relationships can be taken as either, could be romantic could be platonic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-15
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28082697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrawhatsAndDelibirds/pseuds/StrawhatsAndDelibirds
Summary: None of this is Felix's business. His only goal of coming to Garreg Mach was to become stronger, which is certainly more than he could say about some of his classmates.So why was he making this his problem?
Relationships: Annette Fantine Dominic & Felix Hugo Fraldarius, Annette Fantine Dominic/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

He wasn’t one to care much about what his classmates were doing, nor what they wanted. But there was only so much you could try to avoid people when you had to spend time together for classes. You unfortunately found some things out. 

Ingrid and Ashe were training to die pointlessly as knights, Dedue was training to die pointlessly for the boar, Sylvain wanted to hook up with anything with a heart beat, and he washed his hands of the boar years ago. Mercedes didn’t have lofty ambitions, simply wanting to stay with the church. She was one of the few who’s goals he had some respect for. 

Annette was a matter entirely of her own. Her whole goal here baffled him. She was a hard worker and could easily become a noteworthy scholar or something. She was definitely smarter than everyone else in the class, and by the time she graduated he was sure she could easily do something great.

But she was here with another goal. Her father was here somewhere, and she wanted to reclaim the years that were lost for the sake of bonding of all things. Why you would want to reconnect with someone like that was beyond him. He had actively abandoned her because he was too consumed with his vain notion of pride to realize what he’s willingly thrown away. 

And that led him to the next and equally baffling thought.

_ Why _ was _ he  _ here in front of Gilbert’s door? 

It was no mystery to him as to who he really is. He was a friend of his father, and cared deeply for the boar before his own shame as a knight drove him to abandon everything he had. A coward who ran and hid like a scared child at the cost of those around him. Truly a shining beacon of chivalry. 

But he couldn’t figure out why _ he _ of all people was here. He wasn’t invested in any of this. He was here to get stronger, not make friends. He didn’t care about any of them. There wasn’t a singular reason for him to be here. Students weren’t supposed to be in the knight’s dormitory, and sneaking in here was shameful. But if he was here, he might as well knock. 

It wasn’t long before the coward opened the door. 

“Oh, Felix. What are you doing here?” The coward asked, caught off guard by the fact Felix had followed him here. 

This was a military academy, yet he’d keep his guard this lowered. What kind of example was he setting for the students? 

“I want a word, _ Baron Dominic. _ ” He spat his name. The coward seemed shocked to hear that name, frantically looking around to see if anyone caught that. It was almost as if changing your name and abandoning your old life didn’t free yourself of your past, no matter how much you wanted to go somewhere else and play martyr. 

Not saying a word, the coward stepped to the side and let him in. Felix would lean against the desk, as the coward sat down on his bed. There was a chair for him, but he had no intention of getting comfortable. This was going to be a short visit. 

“I should’ve expected as much from Rodrigue’s son. You’re just as clever as your father.” He said, almost as if his intention was to piss him off until he left. 

“Don’t ever compare me to that man again.” This would be his last warning. 

“It was meant as a compliment. Your-”

“Stop trying to change the subject. He’s not the human garbage I’m here to talk about.” The coward put his hands up defensively.

“I had no idea you felt-”

“Are you going to let me talk or not.” By the Goddess he hoped he wouldn’t end up this pathetic and annoying when he got older. Had he forgotten that he was here to talk to him. If this was about his father he would’ve brought him up already. He was in no mood to carry on a conversation that would go nowhere. 

“My apologies, the floor is yours.” 

“So I’m well aware of who you are. You’re a coward, and an absolute  _ disgrace  _ of a knight.” Though the fact that he enjoyed the company of both his father and the boar made it obvious that he had embraced what made him an awful person. 

“This is about Duscar, isn’t it. Your brother fought bravely, and if I-” 

“This isn’t about my brother either. He’s dead, and you don’t get to speak for him. So shut up and listen.” The dead should be left alone. You mourn and move on. If you keep dragging their names around to hide behind, you’re making a mockery of their death. Glenn was a great man, and he wouldn’t allow the coward to throw a pity party with his name. 

“After the tragedy at Duscar, you abandoned your name and disappeared. It wasn’t until I arrived here that I gave it much thought.” 

“I was no longer worthy to deserve that name. I had no other choice than to renounce my name and spend the rest of my life in an attempt to atone for my failures.” The coward continued to wallow in his grief. 

As if this grief was worth anything other than the pity of a bleeding heart. 

“Like I said. A coward and a failure as a knight. Never once did you think about the other people in your life? And for what? Forgiveness from the dead? They have nothing left to give. They’re _ dead. _ ” Every knight seemed to chase after the dead. It was an obsession Felix never understood. _ “ _ You’re a pathetic old man wallowing in pity. You don’t deserve to have someone with a good heart to be looking for you. You’re an even sadder excuse of a father.” 

The coward opened his mouth. 

“No shut up. Not even when we were kids and you were spending time in the castle did I even once see Annette. I don’t think I can even say you abandoned them. You would’ve had to _ be _ there in the first place to abandon them. You’re somehow even worse than my father.” 

There was a silence as the coward failed to say anything. These were all things that he already knew. He shouldn’t have needed time to process them. 

“I already know I’m undeserving of the love my daughter as for me.” 

“It doesn’t matter whether you deserve it or not. This isn’t about you. You’re a disgrace of a knight and a father. What matters is that she deserves to have the father she’s wanted for years. A father who doesn’t run at the slightest hint of hardship.” The boar might’ve been a mindless beast, but he at least had the sense to own up to his responsibilities. 

The coward stared at him as if he had said something unreasonable. It made sense as he had known nothing but his own selfish pity for the last few years. Why would anything resembling growth or sense have any place here? 

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.” 

“What I mean is get your act together and go see your daughter. She cares about you, and the least you can do is be there for her.” He was done here. Any longer and he’d be wasting time that was better spent training. 

He stopped in the doorway, not turning his back. 

“She spends a lot of time in the dining hall and the library. I figured I should tell you that much seeing as you know nothing about her.” And with that, he left. 

He was doubtful that Gustave would do anything to fix this relationship, but there wasn’t much else Felix could do. His words seemed to have affected him, but he was a coward, so there was just as much chance that he simply flees the country entirely. 

  
Ultimately, his job was now done. He could wash his hands of this and go back to focusing on this training. That coward had better make the right choice. 


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few weeks since he had had his talk with the coward. He hadn’t been keeping tabs on either of them, but it had been a thought gnawing at the back of his head for a while now. It had no reason to bother him, but he couldn’t shake it no matter how hard he tried to focus on other things. 

Now it was starting to interfere with his training, and that was bothersome. He had no choice but to seek out the answers for himself. He’d make this quick, and hopefully she wouldn’t be as hard to work with as her coward of a father. 

Annette had been assigned to tend to the plants in the greenhouse today. It was still fairly early, so the odds were good that she was still there. If not she tended to hang around the dining hall with Mercedes. It wasn’t as if she was someone that was impossible to find. He barely interacted with her and still he knew where she tended to be. 

As he approached the greenhouse, he could hear her singing. She was in a good mood, but that wasn’t much to go on. Annette being in a good mood could mean anything from “My dad finally spoke to me” to “They’re serving my favourite food for lunch today”. It was doubtful that whatever she was singing was going to tell him much either. 

“Then they poke their heads out of the ground, and grow up nice and tall. Flowers, trees, and vines, and shrubs will climb up to the sun!” She sung as she continued to water the plants, blissfully unaware that he was now in there with her. 

“Hey Annette, I have a question to ask.” He’d speak up once it was obvious that she was too preoccupied with the world around her to acknowledge him. 

“Ack!! Felix!! What are you doing here?!” She quacked, caught off guard and flustered. 

“Like I said, I have a question to ask.” 

She huffed, not believing him entirely. The songs weren’t the worst that he’s heard, but hardly why he was here. “I guess I could answer your question. But you promise not to tell anyone about what you just heard, okay?” 

It wasn’t that embarrassing. Wasn’t like she was the first person to sing in here, so he didn’t know what the big deal was. 

“Did you hear from your father yet?” 

She was taken aback for a moment. He couldn’t really blame her. He made it his business to stay out of other people’s business. He didn’t get why he cared either. 

“No, but have you? Do you know where he is?! Have you secretly been in contact with him?!” She went from confused to exuberant and accusatory. He wasn’t prepared for how fast she’d closed the gap between them. 

Fortunately for him, this wasn’t the battlefield. Regardless, he’d have to pay better attention. 

But once the initial shock wore off, a rage set in. It wasn’t at Annette, that much he was certain. Was he mad that Gustave didn’t step forward? Because part of him knew he wouldn’t. Felix shouldn’t be mad over an outcome he already knew was going to happen. Yet he couldn’t help it. 

“No, I found him and I told him to quit being a coward and to own up to his failures as a father. You should stop wasting your time chasing after a man like that. He’s not worth your time.” He had his chance. 

He’s had so many chances. She  _ actually  _ cares about him, and he continues to turn a blind eye to her. Felix didn’t get why she’d pursue him so intensely, but he didn’t have to get it. Neither did that coward. What mattered was she deserves to be happy, and his actions were doing nothing but hurt her. 

In an instant, Annette’s cheerful demeanor soured. It wasn’t a pleasant truth that he shared, but it was one that had to be shared nonetheless. 

If he was given the choice, he would’ve much rather have been told that his own father was too busy with being an eager to die knight than to be an actual father to him or his brother who’s value was only to be  _ cannon fodder  _ down the line then to have found out first hand. This was him doing her a favour for if he ever did rear his cowardly head or she did track him down. 

“Don’t talk about my father like that! He’s a brave and great man! None of this is your business, Felix! The man you spoke to must’ve obviously not been my father then!” She yelled, as if yelling would change the truth and make him even remotely worth anything. 

“If he really was either of those things, then he wouldn’t have abandoned you. He’s a coward barely worth being called a man, and he’s only looking to die as a knight for his honor. He’s already decided that his pride is worth more than-” 

He was interrupted by a slap to the face. He hadn’t expected it. By the looks of it, he was lucky he got away with only that. 

“I told you to stop talking about him! This isn’t any of your business! Just leave me alone!” 

“Gilbert.” 

The name seemed to throw her off. She stopped whatever it was she was about to do, and stared at him in confusion. 

“Gilbert?”

“That’s the name your father’s going under right now. I talked to him a few weeks ago. He didn’t seem interested in talking, but I’ll let you see for yourself. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The coward was probably too busy throwing himself a pity party to even notice this much time had passed. He was pathetic. 

“I thought he wasn’t worth my time?” Annette squinted, trying to figure out his angle. 

“He’s not, but if you’re not going to listen to me you might as well get it over quickly. Don’t let him trick you into feeling bad for him because he failed as a knight and doesn’t deserve you. He tried to pull that trick on me. If he _ really _ cared he would be more focused on trying to support you than leaving you and hoping for the best. This is about his pride, and it always has been.” 

Annette lunged for him, and wrapped him into a hug that he had no say in whether he participated or not. 

He didn’t get her. One minute she was furious at him, the next she was hugging him? This is why he stuck to training. Analysis is a lot easier when you have a sword in your hand.

“Thanks Felix. I know you don’t trust him, but that’s for me to decide on my own. I’m a lot tougher than you think.” She beamed, letting him go. She then skipped off with the information she now had. 

He had to wonder if she realizes she didn’t finish her job. Whatever. It wasn’t like there was that much left. It wouldn’t take too much from his training. 


	3. Chapter 3

Training had been going pretty well today. He hadn’t quite made the improvements that he wanted yet. It was annoying, but it wasn’t something he couldn’t do. With a little more focus on his footing and form, he was sure that it could be done in no time. It wasn’t as though he had other plans for the day. 

Though that lingering presence in the door made him feel like that was all going to change. He wasn’t going to press them to talk. If they stayed quiet they weren’t bothering him. If they wanted to say something but couldn’t, that was their own problem. 

“Hey Felix? Can I talk to you for a bit?” Annette asked, outing herself as whoever was lurking about the room. It was bothersome to be disturbed while he was training, but he already knew it’d be more bothersome to tell her to leave him alone. 

“Fine, make it quick.” He’d put his sword against the wall and grab a towel to dry off a little. 

“You were right… About my dad I mean.” 

By the goddess he shouldn’t have said anything to her about this. He shouldn’t have stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. Annette was supposed to be one of those annoyingly cheerful people. People like her weren’t supposed to be this upset. It was just wrong. 

“It’s not an easy truth to learn. Sorry you had to find out that way.” Though he was more sorry he was the one who meddled in her afairs. He knew he wasn’t exactly the more delicate when it came to those things. 

“The whole time it was like he was trying to make me feel bad for him. It was just like you said. His pride meant more to him than me or mother. He had gifts that he had carved for me, like we could just go back to before when I was little and before he left. Like he hadn’t been there for us.” She wrapped her arms around herself. She looked so small and pathetic. 

He couldn’t think of a fouler group to join than the knights.  _ This  _ was the result of their values. 

What she said about him trying to go back to the way things were before he ruined everything reminded him of how his father was after Glenn died. Like nothing had changed but Glenn’s death was never mentioned. Making sure he did his drills to be strong like Glenn. Training in chivalry to be disciplined as Glenn. All that training to be a knight, so he could be dead like Glenn. 

Knights were the lowest of the low, barely scraping by above the boar. 

“It was selfish of him to think that everything would just stop for him for years as he repented to the dead. He would’ve better spent his time focusing on the living then maybe he would’ve been worth something.” A coward through and through. Too scared to even face his actions, choosing to pretend like nothing had happened and they were a happy family. Exactly like a  _ knight _ would. “And he’d tried to take advantage of your kind heart to get away with it.  _ Disgusting _ .” 

“I should’ve known better. I wanted him to come home to mom so we could be a family again. He had letters to us in his room. He thought about us, but not enough to put any effort into making things right. And I tried to do this for mom. But his stupid pride got in the way.” Annette crumbled to the floor, her hands going to her face to cover it as she sobbed. 

Felix wasn’t well versed in this sort of situation. He didn’t know how to comfort, because growing up he was usually the comforted. 

Then Dusur happened and he made it his business to keep everyone at an arm’s length. 

But he couldn’t help but feel somewhat responsible for the situation Annette was in. He stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. Even if she was going to get hurt anyways, Felix now played a role in hurting her. 

He awkwardly pat the top of her head. It didn’t feel like the _ right _ gesture, but it also didn’t feel like the wrong one. He would settle for it for now. He wasn’t close enough to her for much else. 

“It’s not your fault he’s a coward. That was a choice he made all on his own. Don’t take it too personally. ” 

He committed himself to being a knight and all the pathetic behaviour the came with it. He no doubt did that long before she was even born. Probably back as far as her mother knew him. 

“How _ can’t _ I though? We were almost enough. But why weren’t we?” 

“Because he’s too caught up in his own delusions of knighthood. You were never going to be able to fix this, because all he wanted to do was to die in glory in Duscar.” He tried to withhold the venom on his tongue as he said glory. To think he’d long so openly to have died in the same tragedy that took his brother. Like it was some treasure being withheld from him. “And because he knows you’re too good for him. You want to help people for the sake of helping them, not for some antiquated ideal of knightly pride. You’re the kind of person that would be willing to give someone the benefit of a doubt, even if they don’t deserve it.” 

“I shouldn’t though. That’s how I get into messes like this. I’m so dumb.” She curled up tighter. Maybe he should sit down next to her. Ugh. He was awful at this. 

“Yeah, but I’m sure that you’ve helped plenty more.” He had to admit, she was pretty good at treating everyone kindly. Even people like him and even Sylvain. “Besides, I find it hard to imagine someone like you being like me and thinking the worst of people.” 

There was a moment, and then Annette laughed. She must’ve imagined herself acting like him and keeping everyone at an arm’s length. 

He’d keep quiet about the part about finding it hard to imagine her turning cynical like him being a lie. She seemed amused by it, and it’d be better for him if she didn’t know that he used to be a sensitive little kid.

“Thanks, Felix. You’re not as bad as you try to make yourself out to be.” She sniffled, wiping her face and hugging him. He wouldn’t push her away, but he wasn’t exactly sure  _ why  _ she’d want to hug him right now, as they had been sitting here long enough that his formally hot and sweaty clothes were not cold and damp. But that was her choice to make he supposed. 

“Don’t go spreading that around. I’m here to  _ train _ , not get all buddy buddy with people.” Though if he was going to do that, he guessed there were  _ worse _ people for it to be than Annette. 

He still wasn’t about to make it a habit of seeking her out. 

“Alright, your secret’s safe with me.” She giggled, letting him go and standing up. “I’ll let you get back to your training now.” 

“Thanks.” He’d pick up his sword. “If you want to talk about how awful our dads are again, you know where to find me.” 

Annette blinked. 

He wasn’t sure why he said that either. Spending so much time around her was making him sentimental again. 

“I will! Bye!”


End file.
